<big><b>From same-sex marriage to a new paint job for the top of the Space Needle</big></b>, there have been some major and a few minor decisions in 2012 that have changed Seattle in ways hard to miss. less

<big><b>From same-sex marriage to a new paint job for the top of the Space Needle</big></b>, there have been some major and a few minor decisions in 2012 that have changed Seattle in ways hard to ... more

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<big><b>1.) <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Washington-approves-same-sex-marriage-4018058.php" target="_blank">Washington approved Referendum 74</a></big></b>, joining Maryland and Maine as the first states in which voters approved legalizing same-sex marriage. The new law will not only change the lives of couples seeking the long-term commitment (and legal rights) associated with marriage, but their victory also rippled through the state’s courthouses and other institutions and businesses that will support, cater to and serve the newlyweds.
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

<big><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Gregoire-signs-Wash-gay-marriage-law-4092662.php#photo-3850847" target="_blank">Gov. Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality</a></big></b> into law on Dec. 5, and couples flocked to courthouses at midnight to obtain marriage licenses. King County and Thurston County opened the earliest at 12:01 am. Hundreds lined up hours before, and the line snaked around the building. King County issued 489 licenses on Dec. 6, breaking a previous daily record of 212.
Photo: ELAINE THOMPSON / AP less

<big><b><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/us/article/Gregoire-signs-Wash-gay-marriage-law-4092662.php#photo-3850847" target="_blank">Gov. Chris Gregoire signed marriage equality</a></big></b> into law on ... more

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… <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Seattle-City-Hall-becomes-state-s-same-sex-4103460.php" target="_blank">and the people flocked to courthouses, chapels, parks and more</a> around the state to get hitched. Seattlepi.com columnist Joel Connelly wrote, “Marriage equality had hitherto gone 0-for-32 at the polls. The three states bring to nine, plus the District of Columbia, those that permit those of the same gender to wed.”
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

… <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Seattle-City-Hall-becomes-state-s-same-sex-4103460.php" target="_blank">and the people flocked to courthouses, chapels, parks and more</a> around ... more

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<big><b>2.) Sometimes now you can even smell this victory</big></b> on the streets of Seattle. Legal marijuana has been a dream for advocates in Seattle and Washington for decades. <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Hempfest-at-21-Making-marijuana-legal-3793382.php" target="_blank">What started in 1991 as a “little gathering of stoners</a>,” Seattle’s Hempfest has become one of the largest annual pro-pot festivals in the world. And, while many Hempfest supporters and organizers didn’t like parts of Initiative 502, which legalized possession of up to an ounce and ordered the state to establish a system for farming, selling and taxing marijuana, they got a lot of what they’d been after.
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

<big><b>2.) Sometimes now you can even smell this victory</big></b> on the streets of Seattle. Legal marijuana has been a dream for advocates in Seattle and Washington for decades. <a ... more

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<big><b>Washington and Colorado became the <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/11/06/initiative-502-passes-to-legalize-regulate-and-tax-marijuana/" target="_blank">first states to legalize marijuana</a></big></b> in November, and by Dec. 6 several Washington county prosecutors had dropped simple possession charges against hundreds of people. Rules governing the state’s expansive medical marijuana businesses remain intact. And while it is legal to possess the drug, for now there’s no legal way to buy it outside of getting a medical card. <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Hempfest-at-21-Making-marijuana-legal-3793382.php" target="_blank">President Obama has said he’ll leave legal pot alone</a>, but federal law enforcement agencies haven’t said what they’ll do.
Photo: AP less

<big><b>Washington and Colorado became the <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/11/06/initiative-502-passes-to-legalize-regulate-and-tax-marijuana/" target="_blank">first states to legalize ... more

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3.) Costco was the main backer of <big><b>liquor privatization in Washington</big></b>, but with big booze retailers like BevMo! and Total Wine & More moving in – and alcohol showing up for sale in all kinds of places, including hardware stores – it remains to be seen if the investment will pay off in the long run. Drinkers, though, voted with their ballots in 2011 to kick the state out of the liquor business. And now <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Wash-liquor-sales-still-up-after-privatization-4091020.php" target="_blank">shoppers are voting with their wallets</a>, as sales of booze rise in the state. That doesn’t mean Washington State Liquor Control Board officials have time on their hands. That agency is hard at work building the <a href="http://liq.wa.gov/marijuana/I-502" target="_blank">infrastructure for selling marijuana</a>. less

3.) Costco was the main backer of <big><b>liquor privatization in Washington</big></b>, but with big booze retailers like BevMo! and Total Wine & More moving in – and alcohol showing up for sale in all kinds ... more

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4.) After months of high-profile wrangling, rallies, promises and fights over traffic, Seattle and King County approved a plan to help financial guru Chris Hansen <big><b><a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2012/10/16/its-official-financing-deal-for-sodo-arena-signed/" target="_blank">build an NBA and NHL arena</a></big></b> in Seattle's Sodo neighborhood.
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

4.) After months of high-profile wrangling, rallies, promises and fights over traffic, Seattle and King County approved a plan to help financial guru Chris Hansen <big><b><a ... more

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360 Architecture, the Kansas City, Mo.-based consultant on <big><b>Chris Hansen's Sodo arena project</big></b>, released new renderings this month of a significant addition to the firm's preferred design for the proposed venue. The new design includes a <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2012/12/12/gallery-big-orange-icon-added-to-preferred-sodo-arena-design/#8885-8" target="_blank">giant orange ''icon''</a> that would stand out from the surrounding industrial area south of Safeco Field where the arena could be built. less

360 Architecture, the Kansas City, Mo.-based consultant on <big><b>Chris Hansen's Sodo arena project</big></b>, released new renderings this month of a significant addition to the firm's preferred design for ... more

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<big><b>5.) Tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct</big></b> continued apace in Seattle in 2012. It’s too big a project to leave out of this gallery, despite the fact it all got started in earnest in 2011. And, at least earlier this summer, <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/02/21/viaduct-replacement-on-schedule-and-budget-panel-says/" target="_blank">the effort was on time and on budget</a>. The highway, built in the 1950s, will be replaced with a new deep-bore tunnel along the Seattle waterfront. less

<big><b>5.) Tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct</big></b> continued apace in Seattle in 2012. It’s too big a project to leave out of this gallery, despite the fact it all got started in earnest in 2011. ... more

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Members of the <big><b>Rat City Rollergirls flat-track roller derby league</big></b> skate on the upper deck of the closed Alaskan Way Viaduct in October. They were winners of a contest where organizations made pitches about what they would do on the deck of the closed highway for half an hour. The highway, built in the 1950s, will be replaced with a new deep-bore tunnel along the Seattle waterfront. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

Members of the <big><b>Rat City Rollergirls flat-track roller derby league</big></b> skate on the upper deck of the closed Alaskan Way Viaduct in October. They were winners of a contest where organizations ... more

<big><b>6.) The ban on plastic bags</big></b> took effect and some people were opting to carry their stuff loose in their arms than pay the 5-cent charge to get a paper bag in a store. <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/article/Seattle-s-plastic-bag-ban-takes-some-by-surprise-3677504.php" target="_blank">To ease the pain</a>, some stores like Safeway and Whole Foods gave away reusable bags on the first day of the big change. Meanwhile, those who had always used their own bags hardly noticed.
Photo: COURTESY OF KOMO TV less

<big><b>6.) The ban on plastic bags</big></b> took effect and some people were opting to carry their stuff loose in their arms than pay the 5-cent charge to get a paper bag in a store. <a ... more

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7.) Another King County Council decision put in place in 2011 that didn’t take effect until this year was the <big><b>end of the free-ride area in Seattle</big></b>. While many in the city seemed unconcerned about the change, one group didn’t take it sitting down. <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Bus-riders-plan-funeral-march-to-mourn-Ride-3872534.php" target="_blank">About 100 bus riders participated</a> in a "funeral march" organized by the Transit Riders Union.
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

7.) Another King County Council decision put in place in 2011 that didn’t take effect until this year was the <big><b>end of the free-ride area in Seattle</big></b>. While many in the city seemed unconcerned ... more

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8.) “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079367/quotes" target="_blank"> The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!</a>” A quiet, unassuming rule put in place by the Seattle City Council ended decades of tradition. In May, <big><b>Seattle unveiled its new opt-out registry</big></b>, months after it became the first city in the country to require phone book companies <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/85-000-yellow-pages-books-canceled-in-Seattle-1372084.php" target="_blank">to honor requests of people who no longer want the thick paper directory</a> delivered to their doorstep. In the first five days, more than 13,000 people canceled 85,000 phone-book deliveries.
Photo: JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES less

8.) “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079367/quotes" target="_blank"> The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!</a>” A quiet, unassuming rule put in place by the Seattle City Council ... more

Photo: Getty Images

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9.) A major renovation in Seattle that’s hard not to notice if you cruise down Montlake Boulevard Northeast near the University of Washington is the <big><b>renovation of Husky Stadium</big></b>. The $250 million dollar project is being funded with $50 million in private donations and with a loan to be paid off with revenue generated by the stadium. The new Husky Stadium is scheduled to reopen in August 2013.
Photo: COURTESY OF JEREMY ELSON less

9.) A major renovation in Seattle that’s hard not to notice if you cruise down Montlake Boulevard Northeast near the University of Washington is the <big><b>renovation of Husky Stadium</big></b>. The $250 ... more

Photo: Ellison, Jake

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10.) In August, <big><b> Mercer Street opened to two-lane traffic</big></b> for the first time since 1968. It was expected to be a major step towards solving the decades-long "Mercer Mess" that has plagued the area near Interstate 5. Some 80,000 vehicles travel through the corridor each day and the old configuration was a source of daily bottlenecks. The Seattle Department of Transportation says the new configuration <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Mercer-St-still-messin-with-drivers-3818313.php" target="_blank">will save drivers minutes in their daily commute</a> through the zone.
Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO / SEATTLEPI.COM less

10.) In August, <big><b> Mercer Street opened to two-lane traffic</big></b> for the first time since 1968. It was expected to be a major step towards solving the decades-long "Mercer Mess" that has plagued the ... more

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<big><b>11.) Vulcan built it and Amazon came.</big></b> Then the online mega-retailer announced in October that <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/realestate/article/Amazon-to-buy-headquarters-buildings-from-Vulcan-3923574.php" target="_blank">it would pay $1.16 billion for the 11 buildings</a> built by Vulcan Real Estate in South Lake Union. The 11 buildings are separate from Amazon's plan to build three office buildings, each up to 37 stories tall, with about 1 million square feet of space, on three full blocks along the east side of Westlake Avenue between Lenora and Virginia streets.
Photo: ELLIOT SUHR, SEATTLEPI.COM less

<big><b>11.) Vulcan built it and Amazon came.</big></b> Then the online mega-retailer announced in October that <a ... more

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12.) If you happen to fly over Seattle or get higher than the <big><b> Space Needle</big></b> in some other fashion, you’ll notice one iconic change to the city. The owners of the Needle <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2012/10/22/goodbye-galaxy-gold-heres-the-space-needles-new-look/" target="_blank">held a contest this summer</a> to decide what the new top of the Needle would look like, and the above design won. less

12.) If you happen to fly over Seattle or get higher than the <big><b> Space Needle</big></b> in some other fashion, you’ll notice one iconic change to the city. The owners of the Needle <a ... more

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The Space Needle is seen from the air, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Seattle. Painted on its roof is For our 50th! #TOPTHIS, in reference to a contest announced Tuesday for fans of the 605-foot tower to submit design and color submissions for the next rooftop paint job.
Photo: TED S. WARREN/AP less

The Space Needle is seen from the air, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Seattle. Painted on its roof is For our 50th! #TOPTHIS, in reference to a contest announced Tuesday for fans of the 605-foot tower to submit ... more

Photo: Ellison, Jake

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Speaking of the Space Needle: If you went to the observation deck anytime this fall, you might have noticed these <big><b>giant spiders</big></b>. They’re <a href="" target="_blank">three-dimensional renderings</a> by artist Marlin Peterson, and they’re not exactly what they appear. The mural depicts two Opiliones arachnids (better known as daddy longlegs), and they’re designed to trick your eyes in perceiving them as fully-formed creatures instead of a flat painting.
Photo: COURTESY OF MARLIN PETERSON less

Speaking of the Space Needle: If you went to the observation deck anytime this fall, you might have noticed these <big><b>giant spiders</big></b>. They’re <a href="" target="_blank">three-dimensional ... more

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12 decisions that changed Seattle in 2012

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It has been a year of pretty dramatic decisions — decisions that have affected nearly everyone’s life in our fair city either legally, personally, visually or all three at once. Click through the above gallery to get our take on 12 of the decisions that have changed Seattle.